for a gun to him is as a trumpet to a war-horse; I with no less
annoyance, for I don't think that a partridge itself, barring the
accident of being killed, can be more startled than I at that
abominable explosion. Dash has certainly better blood in his veins
than any one would guess to look at him. He even shows some
inclination to elope into the fields, in pursuit of those noisy
iniquities. But he is an orderly person after all, and a word has
checked him.

Ah! here is a shriller din mingling with the small artillery--a
shriller and more continuous. We are not yet arrived within sight
of Master Weston's cottage, snugly hidden behind a clump of elms;
but we are in full hearing of Dame Weston's tongue, raised as usual
to scolding pitch. The Westons are new arrivals in our
neighbourhood, and the first thing heard of them was a complaint
from the wife to our magistrate of her husband's beating her: it
was a regular charge of assault--an information in full form. A
most piteous case did Dame Weston make of it, softening her voice
for the nonce into a shrill tremulous whine, and exciting the
mingled pity and anger--pity towards herself, anger towards her
husband--of the whole female world, pitiful and indignant as the
female world is wont to be on such occasions. Every woman in the
parish railed at Master Weston; and poor Master Weston was summoned
to attend the bench on the ensuing Saturday, and answer the charge;
and such was the clamour abroad and at home, that the unlucky
culprit, terrified at the sound of a warrant and a constable, ran
away, and was not heard of for a fortnight.

At the end of that time he was discovered, and brought to the bench;
and Dame Weston again told her story, and, as before, on the full